Fewer Regrets
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:11-14)
When it comes to discussing temptation and sin, there is a big distinction that we need to make. Being tempted is not a sin. Just because you have been tempted doesn’t mean you have sinned. Rather, sin happens when you act on that temptation.
Part of being a human is facing temptation. But it is possible for us to have victory over our temptations with the help of the Holy Spirit, because being filled with the Holy Spirit is the first step in preparing for the temptations that will come our way. We must also realize that a major part of refusing temptation is saying “No!”
When Jesus was on this earth, He faced plenty of temptation. He experienced firsthand to have something enticing waved in front of your face, while enduring the inner battle of whether or not to give in to what you know isn't right.
When Jesus was tempted with offerings of power, influence, and prestige, He refused. In the same way, we must learn to refuse our own temptations by saying “no” to the desires of our flesh and living by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Comedian Josh Billings once said, “Half the trouble of this life can be traced to saying ‘no’ – or rather, saying ‘yes’ too quickly, and not saying ‘no’ soon enough.”
Many times, your flesh will try to convince you to give into temptation. Your flesh will persuade you to say or do something that contradicts God’s Word. It will make what's wrong seem not so bad, allowing you to rationalize and justify doing something you'll later regret. But let me encourage you. Don’t give in. Say “No” to the tempting desires of your flesh, and say “Yes” to all that God has for you as you choose to faithfully follow Him. I promise you will have so much less regret if you do.